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The Sign of Four (World's Classics) (Paperback)

by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Author), Christopher Roden (Editor) "Sherlock Holmes took his bottle from the corner of the mantelpiece, and his hypodermic syringe from its neat morocco case ..." (more)
4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Paperback: 200 pages
  • Publisher: Oxford Paperbacks; New edition edition (1 Dec 1994)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0192823795
  • ISBN-13: 978-0192823793
  • Product Dimensions: 18.6 x 11.6 x 0.9 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 2,347,389 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

Product Description
Miss Mary Marstan receives through the post once a year a large pearl without any clue as to the sender. When her mysterious correspondent requests a meeting, Holmes and Watson start out on a case. A terrible death and vanishing treasure lead to an epic pursuit through the dawn streets and later along the River Thames. The cast of characters include the unfortunate Sholto twins, the mongrel Toby, and the wooden-legged man, as the fire and blood of Mutiny-torn India throw gigantic, distorted silhouettes across late Victorian London.
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Sherlock Holmes took his bottle from the corner of the mantelpiece, and his hypodermic syringe from its neat morocco case. Read the first page
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Another Intriguing Mystery, 31 Aug 2001
This review is from: The Sign of Four (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)
"The Sign of Four" is the second of Conan Doyle's four longer Sherlock Holmes stories - I wouldn't call it a novel, because it's shorter even than the other three.

The level of detection and the intrigue surrounding the mystery is as clever as ever, and possibly more complex than in its predecessor, "A Study in Scarlet". The structure of the book could be seen as a little clumsy, with the story of Small tacked onto the end as an extra thirty pages - but using the first-person viewpoint like he does, there was no other way for Conan Doyle to integrate it into the story.

This story is also worth reading for its long-term developments in the Holmes stories. We learn of Holmes' cocaine addiction and his reasoning behind it. This is also where Watson meets his wife, which - along with the treasure seeking - makes it the more romantic of the longer stories. The relationship is hardly developed realistically, but Conan Doyle always seems to sacrifice character development in favour of brilliant plots.

If you simply enjoy the mystery and try not to think about such things, the book is very good indeed. It's a very easy read; Conan Doyle's style flowing brilliantly and so offering a perfect form of escapism.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely gripping!, 27 May 2004
By Kurt A. Johnson (Marseilles, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)   
This review is from: The Sign of Four (Penguin Classics) (Paperback)
In this, the second Sherlock Holmes story written by Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes is called upon by a young lady who needs the great detective's help with a mystery. However, when this mystery leads to murder, Holmes must seek to uncover secrets that have lain hidden for many years, and have their roots in treacheries upon treacheries in far-off India. There's a one-legged man who is at the center of this mystery, and he has a murderous friend who may just be the end of Sherlock Holmes!

As I said, this is the second ever Sherlock Holmes story, written in 1890. As with the very best of the Holmes story, this one is absolutely gripping, carrying a fascinating story with mysteries wrapped up in mysteries that only Mr. Holmes can possibly conquer. As an added bonus, in this story, we get to learn about Dr. Watson's meeting of his true love, and his eventual marriage - which should end some rumors that people spread.

Yep, this is a great story, one that is sure to please any fan of mysteries, and is certain to delight any Sherlock Holmes fan!

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4.0 out of 5 stars Well-paced addictive puzzle, 19 Jan 2009
By Mr. B. Hillis (Windsor, England) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: The Sign of Four (Read Red) (Paperback)
The Sign of Four is the second Sherlock Holmes novel. It is a fast-paced story involving theft, murder and betrayal, the beginnings of which lie in a robbery that took place during the Indian Mutiny.

The great strengths of the novel lie in its pace, thrilling plot and atmospheric settings. There is also of course the facinating character of Holmes himself: the arrogant, intellectual, emotionally stunted drug fiend solving crime through observation and deduction.

Conan Doyle is superb at set-piece scenes such as the boat chase down the Thames and the incident at Agra Fort. I also enjoyed Holmes exposition of his methods, the glimpses of the seamier side of Victorian London and the comic interludes with Thaddeus Sholto and the stereotypically plodding police detective Athelney Jones.

There are some gripes though. Some characters are mere props rather than rounded individuals. Also, at least once Conan Doyle gives Holmes useful information which is hidden from the reader until later when it is revealed that Holmes has used that information in solving the crime. That Holmes is given more facts to work with weakens the illusion the reader is uncovering the mystery with him.

Overall, despite these faults, the Sign of Four is a great page-turner. Holmes may solve crimes like so many cryptic crosswords but this novel has great action and suspense as well as great detecting.



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